Are binoculars and a bino harness neccessary?

[Broadhead]

I won't leave home without my AGC harness and Vortex binos. Harness is just too handy not to have IMO. It easily and conveniently holds binos, rangefinder, wind detector, tag, pen, ID, glassing pad, knife, fire starter and elk calls. Beats the heck out of digging around in your pack every time you stop, or when an elk appears out of nowhere and you need something quickly.

 

[trophyhill]

I take my binos with me to camp, but leave them in camp most days. No need for them when you call them into bow range

 

[ChrisAU]

For rifle hunting, no doubt. I even wore them whitetail hunting 90% of the time this past year...

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

A) nothing is necessary, you do you

B) I started with a simple vortex bino harness/bra, but didn't like things getting wet, etc. Tried one brand's full harness and it didn't do it for me this past year.

Now I have the FHF bino harness with bear spray holster and it's life changing. The extra pockets basically allow me to go bagless on short hunts, ex. for turkey. With pockets for tags, knife, range finder, lighter, etc, it's super convenient. We can't have a side arm in BC, and I've always found other locations for bear spray holsters clunky (belt interferes with bags, etc.).

In the end, gear that makes life easier are good. Are they necessary, no, but neither are shoes for walking...

 

[Danimal]

I feel lost without bino harness and binos. Started wearing them for scouting ducks here in the east many years ago with the simple $20 stretch style straps. I hated the chafing of wearing them with the strap around my neck so made that switch early. I duck hunt lots of public land so I'd hike and watch, hike and watch and wearing binos around the neck sucked. Putting them in a backpack didn't make sense because if a distant flight of birds flew by or flushed you could never get them out quickly enough.

For scouting white tail I realized I could see a lot more sign using a decent set of binos that allowed me to look from a distance without boogering up an area. I could find a tree I wanted to sit in, see rubs from a distance, even see scrapes at times and identify plants better without leaving scent everywhere in the area I was planning to sit.

I went to a FHF harness a couple years ago and haven't looked back. Wind indicator, rangefinder, cell phone, diaphragm calls, license/tags, all go in the harness. If I have my harness I'm half way to being ready at all times. I honestly don't feel the extra weight even though I understand it all adds up. I'm new to western hunting but wore them last year on some pretty intense day hikes and never felt disadvantaged.

I'm all in on a good set of binoculars in a higher end harness.

 

[H.T. Outdoors]

I can't imagine being out without my binos. I would feel naked without them. I almost always shoot my bow with them on so it feels weird to not shoot with them on.

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[Comerade]

I wear a zipper vest and this secures my bins. The very best binoculars you can afford

 

[Phaseolus]

I’d leave the pistol behind in Colorado, there are very few bogeymen in Colorado, at least I’ve never run into one in 58 years of traveling Colorado’s backcountry.

 

[pbcarch]

Been using the AKG for about 2 years now both for whitetail and elk. Very handy for binos, rangefinder, GPS, calls, windchecker , tags, firestarter. I also force myself to always shoot with it on.
This past season I used the thigh holster from gun fighters inc for my glock 40. It worked fine and I liked that it was always on me. It can be rigged to the pack belt to if you want

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[mighteywhitehunter]

Even in thick country it can be very beneficial to have 8 or 10X binos close at hand to look for critters. I wont leave home without them. Personally I use the AGC Kodiak Cub with the max pocket. It is all personal preference but regardless of how you carry them I would bring the binos.

 

[chindits]

I don’t ever carry binos anymore. I either carry my LRF or a monocular. If I want to look at horn size or find sheep, I bring my spotting scope.

 

[FlyGuy]

Thanks for all the input guys. I have a good pair of Vortex Viper 8×42's in a AGC chest harness. I have a lot of neccessary stuff in that as well.

I'm trying to figure a good option to carry my pistol. I cant find a good hip holster to fit on my Kafaru hip belt. I've tried many. Just digs into my hip bone to much. The AGC holster on the bino harness was way to floppy. Sent it back.

I like the chest holster that Gunslingers makes the Kenai I think. But then the bino harness becomes an issue. Not sure what direction to go in.

I use the kenai for a 480 Ruger when I am in Grizzly country. I just have it adjusted to ride low, around belly button height, and below my AGC chest rig.


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[trophyhill]

I’d leave the pistol behind in Colorado, there are very few bogeymen in Colorado, at least I’ve never run into one in 58 years of traveling Colorado’s backcountry.

I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it

 

[5MilesBack]

I’d leave the pistol behind in Colorado, there are very few bogeymen in Colorado, at least I’ve never run into one in 58 years of traveling Colorado’s backcountry.

Leave it behind where? I'd rather carry it than leave it in camp or in a vehicle where it's unattended. And I see boogeymen every time I leave the house. Colorado is full of them these days. Seems like more and more of them are being bused in daily. Pretty sure they're all coming for the pot. I carry everywhere I go. I would really feel 1/2 naked without it.

 

[Car7x]

Well, I'm new to archery elk, but a long time bowhunter/ mountain traveller and compulsive pack fiddler. I carry my 8x42s for awhile, but if gets thick I can end up leaving them at camp after a couple days. I do like throwing my navi and comms in my original MF harness, but rigged the pouch so I can buckle it straight to my pack straps when desired.

I carry a 4" 629 MG with XS express sights in a MR revolver holster QD buckled similarly off the left shoulder strap. I wouldn't be comfortable with anything less than a .44.

Ready to go the 629 has to push 4 lbs, but I find it rides great and the centered bino pouch seems to offset the one sided effect. No problem drawing a compound, and yes, it's ton of stuff on the chest, but it's SW MT and bears are a factor. I really did not like it on the hip belt, just too busy when taking the pack on and off, and always digging into the hip, abrading clothing, etc. We'll see how this works in real life, but the nice thing about the MR holster is that it is rigged for a lot of options - thread it on a belt for breaking down game, etc..

I have the Benelli w/ slugs and a cheap cordura dual purpose chest or shoulder holster rig for the Smith at camp/rig. BTW, that shoulder /chest rig was only about 20 bucks on ebay or somewhere, perfectly adequate. Import stuff w/ oddball plastic, so it won't mate up with top spec USA gear, but stand alone it is fine.

Edit - Got the skiff uncovered today and realized the cheap plastic hardware on your typical blue boat cover webbing is a fit for the equally cheapo stuff on the black shoulder/chest hybrid rig.

You'll see the MR holster back side with those QD sliders, I found them marketed as 'Field Repair Sternum..' Adjusters or Sliders, etc. An easy option with or without a chest pack or bino pouch is to rig something similar and suspend it from a pack sternum strap. You'll see this sternum strap pictured will pop right off this pack at the shoulder strap junction, so I can move the whole rig to a different pack quick. When I get my guys together and figure out which of my packs each kid is carrying, fit revolvers, etc., I'll use the empty holster shown in whatever configuration needed.

Also, I have a ton of tri-slides, QD sternum sliders (key for everything), QD 'field repair' sliders, etc., left over if anyone needs them. Crap is really spendy in small quantities so I over bought some stuff, outfitting 3 new guys as well as myself.

 

[Willskee]

Thanks for all the info guys, I’ve been debating adding a chest pack to my kit for a while. Think I’ll try an inexpensive one and see how I like it. For archery hunting I typically pack a light pair of 8x32 vortex diamondback Binos. Anyone have a recommendation on a pack to fit smaller glass?

 

[jragsdal]

I do not step in the woods with my harness and binos. I run a Marsupial harness with the rangefinder pouch. The small size is perfect for my Swaro EL 8.5x42


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[commandoNate]

This turned into a “do you carry a gun in CO” thread so I guess I’ll weigh in on that. I’m a no.

To the OP’s question, I really like the Rick Young bio strap, just the thin bungee cord material thingy. It holds them tight to your chest but you can clip them right off if you want to. That being said I only use them with my 8’s. 10’s are a little heavy on them so I use a marsupial harness with rangefinder pouch. It’s about the slimmest that I have found. I didn’t like the bulk of the AGC or the weight with a bunch of stuff in it other than just binos and a rangefinder. My pack has 2 waist pouches so I’d rather have the extra weight in there than on my chest. Just my $.02.

 

[commandoNate]

Car7- That’s a cool holster. Does the grip of your pistol interfere with shooting your bow with your pack on?

Edit: never mind, just re read you’re text. You mentioned this.

 

[Mason326]

Thanks for all the input guys. I have a good pair of Vortex Viper 8×42's in a AGC chest harness. I have a lot of neccessary stuff in that as well.

I'm trying to figure a good option to carry my pistol. I cant find a good hip holster to fit on my Kafaru hip belt. I've tried many. Just digs into my hip bone to much. The AGC holster on the bino harness was way to floppy. Sent it back.

I like the chest holster that Gunslingers makes the Kenai I think. But then the bino harness becomes an issue. Not sure what direction to go in.

What pistol? I carry during archery, but because I'm scouting and I don't have a bow. Also run a kifaru bag. Best system I've found so far is Safariland's MOLLE QD system. It lets you use the holster elsewhere and also has excellent positive retention and trigger protection. I run a G19 with TLR1 for two legged predators year-around, and it rides in the same safariland holster everywhere it goes but IWB.